This serpent, who is described as more subtle than any of the beasts of the field, comes into the garden and it starts to talk. And so we scratch our head and say, wait a minute. Snakes Don't have the capacity to converse in human patterns of speech. But it raises all kinds of questions. And some have jumped on this particular dimension of biblical literature to claim That the very beginning of biblical literature is unhistorical and, in fact, legendary or mythological.
Most of us intuitively know that poems need to be read differently than prose and parables differently than narrative. But sometimes in the Bible, these categories are not as clear. Have you ever been left wondering how to understand some of the incredible stories in the Bible? How should we interpret the passages that seem larger than life? Welcome to this Thursday edition of Renewing Your Mind.
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Well, today we're continuing our study of the literary forms of the Bible from R. C. Sproll's series Knowing Scripture. And we're looking specifically at the relationship between history and myth. How we define these genres and how we apply our definition to scripture has drastic implications on our theology.
Here's Doctor Sprawl. In our last session together, we looked at some of the problems that come up in biblical interpretation that are related to. Various forms of language and literary structure that we find in the Bible. And I wasn't able to complete all of the ones that I think we need to be aware of there, and so we'll take some time today to. Continue further on that before we move into some other important principles of biblical interpretation.
a particular literary form that is troublesome at times. is a form that we find frequently with close association with Hebrew poetry as well as with other types of national poetry. And I'm thinking of the use of the concept of personification. We have it in our own literary patterns of poetry, and personification is, as the word suggests. The use of personal forms of description.
for impersonal objects. Attributing human characteristics to inanimate things, for example. Not in the sense of animated cartoons, but in a poetic sense. I think, for example, how the Psalms of David are literally filled. with an abundant use.
Of personification, and in his exuberance, celebrating the victory of God, he might say, On that day, The hills. will clap their hands. And they will dance, and the trees will sing, and so on.
Now, Are we really expecting to see The hills or the mountains springing arms, and then stand there clapping their hands, or seeing the mountains growing feet, and then doing an Irish jig around the countryside. Obviously, not. This is poetic license. This is the use of personification, using personal characteristics and qualities for impersonal objects. But as with these other forms of figurative use of language, for example, that I've mentioned.
Most of the time when we see them in the scripture, It's clear. That that's what they are. But there are always those few occasions where some of the passages. are excruciatingly difficult to isolate and identify in terms of their literary form. Think of the controversy, for example, that centers on two dimensions of the Old Testament that touch on the broader question of personification.
I think, for example, of the narrative account in the Old Testament of Balaam's ass. In that story, we are told that Balaam is riding along on his donkey, and he's in a very close, confined corners of a narrow mountain pass, and suddenly the angel of the Lord stands in front of the donkey. And the angel stands there with the sword, and he bars the passage. of the ass.
Now the donkey can see the angel. But Balaam, who's riding on the back of the donkey, cannot see the angel, And he's just assuming that the donkey's refusal to move ahead is just part of the obstreperous, stubborn nature of the beast. And he starts to rebuke the jackass and he said, Get going, jackass. Why aren't you moving? And he's whipping it and prodding it.
And the thing is not going to move. It's rather fall off the cliff than have to deal with that angel. And finally, you know, the jackass turns around and says to his master, why are you whipping me? Can't you see what's out here? And the reader is astonished to see that The donkey speaks.
How in the world are we supposed to interpret that narrative? There are different ways to approach it.
Some say This is an example of simple personification. The problem with that, however. is that the account of Balaam's ass does not take place In the broader structure, or the literary form of poetry. It takes place. In a passage that is marked by all of the normal characteristics.
of what we call historical narrative. With a certain soberness, it's not in rhythm, it's not in lyrical form of poetry.
So we would not expect Personification here. On the other hand, we are not accustomed to expecting animals speaking.
Now some say that they dismiss it as just sheer myth, as sheer poppycock. because it creates a supernatural manifestation. They dismiss the significance of the text of the jackass speaking because they say this is a violation of nature. Jackasses can't talk, and therefore this must be some kind of primitive mistake.
Now here again we see an example of one's view of miracle or anti-supernatural bias. Violating the text. And I remind you that before you make decisions of whether or not the text is believable, Whether or not it's speaking the truth or not, We can't determine that on preconceived notions of philosophy, but first step is. What is it actually saying? What is it trying to assert?
If a man comes down the street and says to me, my jackass can talk, I may not be disposed to believing that he's speaking the truth, but before I convict him of error, I have to understand if he's really speaking to me as trying to communicate a matter of fact. We have another category of literature. Where you will find stories that are written. that have some of the characteristics of a historical narrative. And that are written in some cases in a style of prose, but they end up with.
animals speaking and doing human things. We think of Aesop's fables, for example. And that that is itself a literary form that is used to teach a moral lesson. And therefore, some commentators have come to the story of Balaam's ass and have said, well, what we have here is an example of the fable. in the Bible.
not an example of untruth, but that the purpose of the text is to communicate a moral lesson by attributing human characteristics to a beast, such as Balaam's ass.
Now. That is a more credible Question, I think, of literary identification than to just dismiss it because it appears to be miraculous or supernatural. But I would still demur even with those who prefer fable over myth or over just simple primitive poppycock. Because again, I think if we look closely at the context of the writing, it is prose. It lacks the normal characteristics of fable, save for that one, namely of an animal talking.
The rest of the structure suggests very strongly that the author is actually trying to convey to us. that on a day in history God empowered A beast of burden. a common jackass, to open his mouth and speak. But We'll leave that question to your further investigation. What I want to just point out here is how sometimes it's not always quite so clear.
If that's not enough to bewilder us, let's take an even more controversial dimension of scripture where we have. Human characteristics associated with animals. In the very earliest chapters of the Old Testament, going back to creation itself, back to the account of the fall, in the third chapter. Of the book of Genesis, one of the most important narratives of all of Scripture because it gives us the biblical and theological explanation for the fall of man, for the reality of sin, for the reality of death in this world, for the very need for redemption in the first place. I mean, it's crucial to the Christian faith and theology that we understand properly.
the biblical idea of creation and fall. But right there in the middle, of the whole question of the fall of man, we run into this testy problem. At what point? Everything's going along very nicely. Until this serpent, who is described as more subtle than any of the beasts of the field, comes into the garden and it starts to talk.
to Adam and Eve. and carry on a conversation with them. And so we scratch our head and say, wait a minute. Snakes don't speak. Any serpents that we know, you know, parrots can talk, minor birds can talk.
We can train certain other animals to mimic human sounds and so on. Maybe it's even possible someday for porpoises or dolphins to speak. But as far as we know, serpents, snakes, Don't have the capacity. To converse in human patterns of speech. You say, well, this isn't really the serpent talking, it's the devil talking through him.
Maybe that's the way to do it. But it raises all kinds of questions. And some have jumped on this particular dimension. of biblical literature to claim That the very beginning of biblical literature is unhistorical. and in fact legendary or mythological.
And so that we cannot really believe in a historical atom. or a historical fall Because of the presence of such anti-historical elements. Within it.
Now again. We have the same problem here that we've had in other places already. We have to ask the question, is the Bible claiming a supernatural event happened here in real time, in real space, in real geographical setting? And that the problem that we're confronting with those who are skeptical about it is basically a problem of unbelief. They just don't believe in God.
They don't believe in a supernatural creator who has the capacity to bring miracles to pass. That's one set of problems if we have it. Or. Is it possible? That a conservative, a person who believes in the supernatural, who believes in the miracles, he doesn't flinch at virgin birth, he doesn't flinch at turning water into wine, he doesn't flinch at the possibility that God can come down and have jackasses speaking or that the devil could speak through a snake.
They have no problems with the supernatural character, but it's possible, and it has been the case that very sober, Eriodite, conservative scholars have looked at that passage and they scratch their head and they're saying, but we're not sure this is what the Bible means to teach. We're not sure that the Bible is even trying to suggest that this is history. Why not? It is possible for a person to believe in the absolute infallibility of sacred scripture. And still not be persuaded that that account in Genesis three is historical.
because of the literary problems of analysis that are involved there. It's not as easy. To define as many people think.
Now, again, I'm not backing off my original assertion. I said there's only one right answer to that. Either the author of Genesis is trying to say this is what happened in real history, or he wasn't. We can't play games without. I don't want to do that.
But I'm saying we have to be careful to analyze the literature. I personally believe they are historical. I'm convinced that there was a historical Adam, that there was a historical Eve, there was a historical garden, there was a historical snake, and there was a historical fall. I believe that, and I think it's vitally important. And I believe it for a host of reasons.
But at the same time, I have to be patient and recognize that there are literary problems to be wrestled with here in this text. For example, part of the text. of Genesis has elements of literary form that are clearly Consistent with what we normally find in the prose of historical narrative. There are mention of real rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, and there is a spatial and temporal setting. For the Garden of Eden.
There are other factors that are involved there that I'll consider in a moment. But Call attention. to the normal. Characteristics of historical prose. But at the same time, that garden that is given a historical setting A geographical location.
is told of having A tree in it. that was called the tree of life. And a tree in it that was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Now I've seen apple trees, I've seen pear trees, I've seen walnut trees, I've seen weeping willow trees, but I've never seen a tree of life. And when I see the tree of life, Elsewhere in Scripture, where do I find it? I find it in the book of Revelation, which is filled. with high degree of symbolic images. And the concept tree of life.
sounds very much like a cymbal. And yet the setting for the symbol is in the context of historical prose. And that makes it difficult. You see, when we have elements that are normally found in one kind of literature mixed together with elements that are normally found in other kinds of literature, and there's a very real sense in which the very opening chapters of Genesis is unique in terms of the combination of styles of literature that we find there. And it's caused no small amount.
of consternation. For biblical interpreters.
So, again, I remind you: personification is easily recognized when hills are clapping their hands. It's more difficult when we see it in the case of Balaam's ass and the question of the speaking serpent. History, fable, Poetic personification. These are different forms. And we need to be able To identify as closely as possible, or at least to understand the problems that are associated with them lest we jump at each other's throats.
When we differ, in our interpretations.
Now in the time that I have left today, I want to just give a brief description of what are the normal characteristics of historical narrative. Because it's the historical dimension of sacred scripture that is under so much attack today. And it's the historical dimension of our faith that is at the center of the controversy. There are people today who say we don't even care whether there was a historical Jesus. You can have Christianity without a historical Christ.
That our faith is not tied to history. You can't find that in the New Testament. The New Testament marries history and redemption. I've heard theologians say that the Bible is not normal history. The Bible's redemptive history.
Therefore, it doesn't matter whether it's historically correct or historically accurate. Let me remind you that, yes, the Bible is redemptive history. It's not just giving us a history of the Western world like some other secular historian. It is the history of redemption. It is redemptive history.
It's a particular kind of history. But I also have to remind you that even though it's redemptive history, it is also redemptive history. And the Jew. Put his life on the line. For the historical reality of his faith, we believe in the God who.
Was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We believe in the God who brought us up out of the land of bondage, out of Egypt, out of a real historical place, and gave us a real historical exodus, and gave us a real historical redemption, because I am a real historical person and I need real historical redemption. Don't play around. with spiritualizations of it. The Jew has no time for that in the ancient world.
The New Testament is introduced by the appearance of Christ in the center of history, in the fullness of time, in the context of real history. Our Savior came, our Savior died, our Savior rose, and our Savior will come again. And so the historical centrality of redemption. It's really, dear friends, a non-negotiable. of Christianity.
And if we play around with it, We're playing around. With the very essence. Of what the Christian faith is all about. That's why it's very important for us to be able to recognize. the normal characteristics of historical narrative, lest we do violence.
to that historical foundation upon which our faith is established.
Some of the most basic of all characteristics Of historical narrative that we ought to be able to recognize when we see them are as follows. I'll give you a simple list. First of all, where the passage gives us A setting of a time And or of a real historical place. Think of the announcement of the nativity of Jesus. Luke tells us.
a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that all the world would be enrolled. And these things took place when in the days when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
Now, in that little narrative, talking about the coming birth of Jesus. You have a reference to Caesar Augustus. whom we know. Was a real historical person. There really was a Roman Empire.
There really was a Quirinius. There really was Assyria. That is to say that the gospel comes to us citing Real life Temporal situations Facts of location and of time. That is a characteristic of historical narrative. Second of all.
Historical narrative is usually conveyed by means of a prose style. I know that real events from history can be passed on from generation to generation in other forms. In fact, the Bible does it. Whenever a great victory takes place in the Old Testament, for example, the key moments of the victory are celebrated in a song, and the song rehearses it, just like the Battle of New Orleans is a popular song in country Western music. And we can learn something about the Battle of New Orleans by singing the song.
But there, the song commemorates the events with poetic and lyrical forms. But normally historical narrative comes in a prose form. Another tip-off to real history. is the presence of genealogies. Those lists and catalogs of generations, so-and-so begat so-and-so, begat so-and-so, who begat so-and-so.
Those were part of the legal documentation of the records that were used in the census bureaus and in the local courts of Israel. And so genealogies are not usually found in poetry. They're found in historical narratives. Another example Is That there is no obvious moral point. to the text.
Now, why do I insert that characteristic in it?
Well, you see, the thing that makes it difficult is that. Fiction imitates life. And we have such things as historical novels. Epic poems. Or we have in the New Testament Jesus, one of Jesus' favorite techniques was the use of the parable.
And sometimes he'll tell a parable. As if it were a true historical event. The purpose of the parable, however, is not to communicate, historical events, but the purpose of the parable is to illustrate a spiritual truth or a moral point. A man went down to Jericho. There was a real Jericho.
There was a real Jerusalem. And a Levite pastor. There really were Levites. And a priest can there really were priests. You take the parable of the Good Samaritan, and it is replete.
With illusions too real. Historical events and types of persons.
So it is possible. for something to sound very much like history. And not be history. It borrows elements from historical narrative. but is not pure historical narrative.
But usually that is done For a moral point. Or for a spiritual lesson. and that is readily apparent in the parables.
So unless such a moral conclusion is drawn in the narrative, I think it would be illegitimate to just dismiss it as parable. or legend. for no good reason. I would say the burden of proof to differentiate when the rest of these Characteristics are present would be on those who are arguing that it is not historical narrative. That's one of the reasons why I believe in the historicity of the first three chapters of Genesis.
Yes, there are these elements, these strange elements of symbol present there. But you have real rivers. You have real genealogies. You have the corroborative evidence of the rest of the New Testament and Old Testament referring to Adam and so on as a real historical personage. And so I would say the cumulative evidence would call us to treat those chapters as historical.
But let me remind you. That our faith is tied to history. And it's important that we be able. To recognize historical narrative when we see it. References to real time, to real space, to real personages, to genealogies.
in prosaic style Those are the tip-offs for historical merit. We'll continue this. in our next session. together. A helpful lesson from RC Sproll on the importance of recognizing genre when we interpret the Bible.
This is Renewing Your Mind, and I'm glad you're joining us today. Today's message is just a portion of the 12-message series from Dr. Sproul called Knowing Scripture. This series was designed to give you the tools you need to understand the Bible as it was originally intended. Each message offers you the opportunity to think deeply about God's Word and to learn principles that can clear up a lot of the confusion about the stories and verses you might be familiar with, but perhaps still puzzle you.
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Well, now that we know that we should interpret scripture literally, what do we do if we come across a text that just isn't that clear? Don't miss Friday's episode here on Renewing Your Mind.
